Fruit basket



Sept. 12, 1933, F. J. BRAINARD FRUIT BASKET Original Filed July 27, 1927Patented Sept. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES FRUIT BASKET Forest J. Brainard,Stockton, N. Y.

Continuation ofapplication Serial No. 208,789, July 27, 1927. Thisapplication October 30, 1930. Serial No. 492,332

10 Claims.

This invention relates to containers and particularly to'baskets, forpacking small fruits such as grapes, and having wire bails functioningas carrying handles and means for holding basket covers in place;

Heretofore I have made certain improvements in baskets of this type asexemplified in my reissued Patent No. 17,210 granted February 12, 1929,which discloses a removable wire handle adapted to cooperate withstaples or lugs formed on the basket body and' with basket cover toretain the latter in position and to retain the handle in an uprightposition when the cover is in place, except when rotational forces areapplied to the handle forcing it to or toward a position fiat againstthe cover.

These or similar baskets are delivered to packers in nested stacks, thecovers and handles being detached. In packing grapes or the liketherein, individual baskets may be taken into the vineyard or field andfilled, the handles attached thereto, and the filled baskets thencarried on a truck to a central shed for inspection and application ofthe cover. During transportation of the filled baskets on such a truck,the handles, which are already applied in order to prevent spreading ofthe basket under the weight of the fruit and to expedite handlingthereof, are folded or pivoted into the plane of the basket top so as toenable stacking of the baskets one on the other. After inspection thecovers are passed through the handles and snapped downwardly thereon.

into position for closing the basket.

The present invention contemplates an improved basket construction ofthe type disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 208,789,filed July 27, 1927, of which this application is a continuation. Thisconstruction embodies a basket having cam lugs or staples for engagingthe basket handle and for urging the handle into an upright positionwhen the cover is removed or in place, the cover when in place alsocoacting with means on the handle to urge it to an upright position. Thecover is provided with notches alined with the cam staples for receivingportions of the handle in order that the latter may retain the. coveragainst longitudinal displacement and may be effectively acted upon bythe cover to be raised to upright position. 1

The handle is provided with fins forming finger grips, which enable thehandle to be readily placed upon the basket after the latter has beenfilled. In subsequent transportation of the basket before theapplication of the cover, the handle may be pulled or flexed upon thebasket top by the superimposing of other baskets or the like. Uponremoval of the latter, the cam ears raise the handle to anuprightposition in which it may be readily gripped for disengagement from thecam staple'on one side of the basket to permit of placement of the coverand refastening of the handle.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing description of a typical basket construction embodying the.principles of the invention, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a basket constructed in accordancewith the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sec- .tional view showing thebasket body, cover, handle, and one cam staple in assembledrelationship.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan sectional view of the portion of the basketshown in Fig. 2 and taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the basket and handle depicting themanner of gripping the handle for efiecting attachment or detachmentthereof; and

Fig. 5 is an end view of a basket provided with a modified handle,portions of the basket cover being broken away to reveal notches formedin the sides thereof.

As shown in Fig. l the basket body 10 comprises thin side wall sectionsor slats 11, overlapping at the central side portions 12 of the basketand reinforced and secured together at the upper and lower edges thereofby bands or rims 13 and 13' respectively. The basket body thusconstructed is very light and flexible so that the opposite side wallsmay be readily pressed inwardly or toward one another or spreadoutwardly by the weight of fruit or other material contained therein.

Handle receiving members 14, which may hereinafter be termed staples aresecured to the opposite sides of the basket, preferably extendingthrough the inner and outer upper rims 13 and the overlapped portions ofthe side wall sections 11. The staples may comprise substantiallyU-shaped wires, the sides or legs 15 of which are forced through thebasket body; the terminal portions 16 and the bight or loop portions 17thereof being bent upwardly to securely clamp the members 14 .to basket.The upper ends 18 of the bights 17 are bent inwardly over .the margin ofthe basket, the central portions sides of the basket being closertogether than other directly opposing portions thereof.

This inward bending or camming of the handle receiving staples may beeffected by an automatic stapling machine at the same time that thestaples are afiixed to the basket. The staples may be modified as tomanner of attachment to the basket body and as to their structuralformation, the essential feature being the inward sloping of the handleengaging surfaces toward the central portion 19 thereof as clearly shownin Fig. 3.

A removable basket cover 21, conforming generally in contour to theouter rim or band 13, is preferably provided with notches 22 at theopposite sides thereof, the notches being adjacent to the staples orlugs 14 when the cover is in place upon the basket body. The handlecomprising bail 23, generally designated at 24, consists of a resilientwire of substantially U-shape, the bight portion 25 being straight andthe end portions 26 being directed outwardly and downwardly, terminatingin' return ben't portions 2'7 directed upwardly and inwardly. These bentor hooked ends are adapted to engage in the staples 14 and to bearagainst and extend partially into the notches of the cover 21. The endportions 26 are provided with, outward bends 28 which constitute fingerpieces, for aiding in the attaching and detaching of the bail.

As depicted in Fig. 4, the bail or handle may be readily attached byinserting one hook 27 into one staple, placing one finger of one hand inthe finger grip 28 of the opposite end 26 and pressing the basket sideinwardly to allow the hook of the unfastened end of the handle to engagethe corresponding staple 14. The handle may be readily removed bygripping it in a similar manner. When the handle and cover are in place,the latter will be firmly retained against upward or lateral movement bythe engagement of the handle hooks 27 therewith.

The handle is normally of less width than the basket cover andconsequently presses or draws the lugs 14 against the cover sides, theinwardly bent portions 18 engaging over and preventing upward movementof the cover relative to the body 10. The hooked ends of the handle,engaged in the notches of the cover, cooperate therewith, in a mannersimilar to that disclosed in my Reissue Patent No. 17,210, grantedFebruary 12, 1929, to effect movement of the handle to, and retentionin, an erect position as shown in Fig. 1 except when under the influenceof rotating pressure, when the handle may be moved about an axisextending between the opposite staples 14 to a position flat against thecover 21.

When the cover is removed this means is not effective to retain thehandle in an erect position. However, the engagement of the handle hookswith the cam lugs 14 will effect this action, at all times, when thecover is either attached or detached. The relative outward pressure ofthe basket sides to the handle, induced by the tensic-ning of the basketand handle when applying the latter and increased by the weight of anycontents of the basket, will cause the basket walls and the attachedstaples to move slightly outwardly, this movement causing inwardmovement of handle hooks 27 relative to the staples, resulting in thehandle moving from engagement with side portions of the bight of thestaples, to the central portion 19 thereof, the latter position beingdepicted in Fig. 3. As the handle is rotatable about an axis passingapproximately through the centers of the apertures formed by thestaples, such movement of the contacting handle portion will effect orurge rotation of, or maintenance of the handle in an erect position.

It will thus be understood that when the baskets are handled beforeapplication of the covers 21 or after removal thereof, the handles willbe held in an upright position in which they may readily be gripped, bythe action of the cam staples 14. When the covers are in place, thesemeans will function to assist the hooked handle ends and the notchedcover in retaining the handle in erect position. The handle may bereadily engaged or disengaged from the basket body, by gripping it atthe bent portion 28, for placing or displacing the cover, or for packingthe basket. The bent portions receive the fingers as shown in Fig. 4 andthereby serve as means for locating the zone of application of fingerpressure for spreading the handle.

In Fig. 5 a modified handle 30 is depicted in which the ends are formedby an outward return bend 31 rather than an inward bend as shown in Fig.2. The bightp'ortion 32 of the modified handle terminates in inwardlyand downwardly inclined portions 33, which in turn terminate in thehooks 31, of which the cam or cover engaging portions 34 correspond tothe extreme end portions of the handle 24. In use the handle 3 willfunction in the same-manner as the handle 24. The cover may be applied,however, without unfastening the handle as it may be inserted throughthe handle loop and pressed downwardly into place, in the mannerdisclosed in my Reissue Patent No. 17,210.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4 rivets or staples R are placed in the bottomportion of the overlapping side walls 11 of the basket body, and belowthe staples or lugs 14. As shown in Fig. 1 particularly, the side wallportions overlap along this zone of the basket body, and the staples Rare so positioned with respect tothe staples 14 as to be in alignmentwith each other and in alignment with an imaginary line substantiallyperpendicular to the bottom of the basket. These especially locatedrivets R insure proper fastening of the overlapping ends of the sidewalls and provide for a more satisfactory structure.

It will be further understood that other changes in the structure of thebaskets herein described may be made within the scope of the inventionas determined by the appended claims. the foregoing it will be observedthat the side wall sections overlap at 12 and are secured together andto the bottom of the basket by such rivets or-staples R in substantialalignment with the staples or lugs 14' which firmly unite the overlappedcentral side portions at the upper edge of the basket. Consequently whenthe handle 24 is engaged with the staples or lugs such over- Fromlapping central side portions 12 provide strain I handle 24 intransmitting the carrying strains from the bottom of the basket, andthereby relieve the remainder .of the veneer-like portions of the wallfrom the burden transmitted from the basket bottom to the wire handle.

terminating into downwardly extending portions,

each downwardly extending portion terminating in a hook adapted to passthrough the adjacent lug, and downwardly extending portions being formedwith a curved oifset portion below said .top horizontal portion andabove the hooks for locating a zone for application of pressure toremove or attach the handle, said offset portion also providing bearingareas for supporting and retaining pressure applying means to thehandle.

2. A basket, a cover therefor, wire staples fastened to said basket andhaving their bight portions'projecting inwardly thereover, asubstantially U-shaped carrying bail having an intermediate portion ofthe bail straight and in-substantial parallelism with the cover, theintermediate end portions being directed divergingly outwardly anddownwardly and the ultimate end portions having return bends at theirextremities engaged with the bight portions of said staples, theintermediate portions of said end portions being provided with bendsforming finger grips.

3. A basket construction comprising a body portion having opposed sides,handle attaching means having an anchoring part engaged with the bodyportion beneath the top'edge thereof, said handle attaching meansextending upwardly over the side of the body portion and thence inclinedinwardly over the top edge thereof, said inwardly inclined portion ofthe attaching means having a handle receiving part with surfaces'therebetween, and a handle for the basket provided with terminalportions passing through the staples between the converging surfaces ofthe bight portions.

5. A basket having a body portion, a reinforcing band about the upperedge of the body portion, substantially U-shaped wire staples forattaching a handle, each staple having its legs passed through thereinforcing band and body portion to secure the same together andfurther serve to anochor the staple, said staple extending upwardly onthe outside of said band with the bight portion of the staple projectingabove the band and bent thereover so as to dispose the bight portionsubstantially over the upper edge of the basket, and a handle havingterminal portions detachably engaged in the bight portions of thestaples, each bight portion having inwardly converging surfaces.

6.'Basket construction comprising a bottom, sides including a lappedsection, a handle secured to said lapped section, and means penetratingsaid lapped section securing said sides to said bottom, whereby the lineof force transmission from said bottom to said handle passes through thelapped section of said sides.

7. Basket construction comprising a bottom, sides including lappedsections oppositely disposed with respect to said basket, a bail handlesecured to said lapped sections, and means penetrating said lappedsections securing said sides of said bottom, whereby'the line of forcetransmission from said bottom to said handle passes through the lappedsections of said sides.

8. Basket construction comprising a bottom, sides including lappedsections, lugs secured to said lapped sections, a bail handle pivotallymounted in said lugs, and means penetrating said lapped sectionssecuring said sides to said bottom, whereby the line of forcetransmission from said bottom to said handle passes through said lappedsections.

9. Basket construction comprising a bottom, sides including a lappedsection, a handle, reinforcing bands at the upper and lower edges ofsaid sides, said handle being secured to said lapped sections throughthe upper reinforcing band, and means penetrating the lower reinforcingband and said lapped sections, securing said sides to said bottom,whereby the line of force transmission from said bottom to said handlepasses through said lapped sections.

10. Basket construction comprising a bottom, sides including lappedsections oppositely disposed: with respect to said basket, reinforcingbands at the upper and lower edges of said sides, a handle, lugs securedto said lapped sections through the upper reinforcing band, a bailhandle pivotally mounted in said lugs, and means penetrating said lappedsections through the lower reinforcing band securing said sides to saidbottom, whereby the line of force transmission from said bottom to saidhandle passes through said lapped sections.

FOREST J. BRAINARD.

